Raging success

Brian Cody turned mild media comments into a full-scale affront - and created a siege mentality within his Kilkenny panel

One of the greatest achievements of Brian Cody’s career has been convincing his Kilkenny teams to play with the outlook and demeanour of underdogs, with all that implies about humility and aggression. It has been an extraordinary trick when you think about it.

We cannot be positive if they were the bookies’ favourites for the 1999 Leinster final against Offaly — although they probably were — and the odds would have been pretty tight for the 2002 All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary, but the reality is that last Sunday was the first time in Cody’s 49-match reign as manager when his team went into a championship match as undisputed underdogs. For these circumstances Cody didn’t need to borrow the blueprint from anybody.

The tone of that performance, with its contained rage and channelled intensity, recalled that July evening in Thurles two years ago when Galway were tied to the stake and torched. Before